Temporal patterns of reef macroinvertebrate communities Tawi-Tawi, Philippines

Abstract

The inclusion of macroinvertebrates in the characterization of coral reef community structures is a common practice in reef assessment. More often than not however, data on this component is relegated to rudimentary analysis and poor uutilization, as priority is given to the keystones species, the corals, or to the reed fish assemblage. Macroinvertebrates, being relatively sessile, are vulnerable to current fast-paced environmental changes and it is imperative for a more comprehensive and holistic approach to examine changes in the assemblages of this biota in relation to changes in habitat structure. In an attempt to address this, temporal changes in the reef macroinvertebrate communities of Tawi- Tawi, philippines were examined in relation to changes in benthic structure. Macroinvertebrates in Tawi- Tawi were consistently dominated by ascidians, mollusks and echinoderms which showed close affinity to changes in the reef structure. The shift in the reef framework from living coral structures to dead and algae were corresponded by a significant decrease in abundances of microinvertebrates. The increase in species richness however showed that macroinvertebrates have the adaptive capacity to buffer impacts, and slow down the rate of community change by becoming generalists and opportunists, but only for a transitory period before species- specific impacts eventually sets in.